Unusual and playful CDV-sized tintype featuring two young men engaged in a staged “duel” inside a photographer’s studio. Each holds a small pistol pointed directly at the other’s face, with comically exaggerated poses—one leaning forward with a smirk, the other standing stiffly with his free hand on his hip. Both wear straw hats and vests, evoking a summer or fairground setting, and the backdrop is a typical painted scenic studio cloth.

While most tintypes from this period lean toward stiff, formal portraiture, this is a great example of 19th-century studio novelty and theatricality. These humorous or staged gunfight scenes were popular among young men looking for a “Wild West” photo to share with friends or sweethearts. The tension in the composition and the symmetry of their pose gives this image strong visual appeal.